nysepost.com

Pistons hire ex-Raps coach Casey

"In our meetings he displayed great insight into what this roster can accomplish, and great passion about our city and the team's role in bringing people together", Mr. Gores said.

Casey was sacked in May, shortly after being dubbed Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coach's Association.

He replaces Stan Van Gundy, who was sacked in May.

But the former Toronto Raptors coach, who led the team to its best five-year run in franchise history only to be fired last month after another disappointing postseason appearance, was probably more interested in showing he is still one of the top coaches in the the league. "He embodies our culture and will be a great representative for our franchise".

Casey posted a 320-238 (.573) overall record as Raptors coach. Casey and the Raptors had high expectations for the team this year, but lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semi-finals in an embarrassing sweep. The 61-year-old finished his tenure as the team's winningest coach but could never get it over the hump in the playoffs. With the offseason officially starting after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA Championship, it was time for the Pistons to pull the trigger.

Prior to his appointment with Toronto, he served as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2005-07.

Detroit acquired Blake Griffin in a blockbuster trade this past season and that wasn't enough to push Detroit into the playoffs. Van Gundy held the title of both head coach and president of basketball operations, which will now be overseen by Ed Stefanski.